INDIANAPOLIS — We've just entered a new year, and with that means many of us have the desire to get healthier, and kickstart a new routine.
As you know, we're always 'Working for You' here at RTV6. We also want to be a part of 'Working for a Better You.'
RTV6’s Meredith Barack is heading into the kitchen with 'RefineYOU' founder and CEO Kim Goletz to learn the six things you need to know about macros.
The first thing that you may be wondering is:
1. What are macros?
As Goletz explains, macros are what make up the calories that we eat.
“Every time we eat food it contains calories, and what makes up these calories are your macronutrients or macros. That's your fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.”
2. Macros contribute to losing fat and building muscle.
“Macronutrients are actually pretty important when it comes to weight loss or fat loss when reaching your health and fitness goals,” says Goletz. “Your body needs fuel, which is calories, and the right type of fuel to run, which is your macronutrients, your carbs, your fats, your proteins.
3. How do you calculate how many grams of fat, carbs, and protein in order to see success?
“That's the tricky thing,” says Goletz, “When you're thinking about doing a macro plan, like you said, everybody is different, everybody is unique, everyone has their own set of goals, your gender needs to be taken into account, your body type, and activity level.”
Goletz says calculating your macros needs to be done by a well-trained professional, taking into account gender, body type, activity level, and any other factors that may impact your health.
“There are some calculators online out there that you can use, but those don't take into account the individual specifically,” she explains.
4. You don’t have to eliminate anything from your diet, only limit it.
“To get the best bang for your effort, you want to eat nutritious foods most of the time. But the good thing is because you're keeping track of those things, you can kind of have your cake and eat it too. You can work in those treats occasionally, and you can still get results,” says Goletz.
5. You will see the most success and best results when combining a macro plan with exercise.
Goletz says you want to find a good balance of cardio work outs and strength training work outs.
“Somebody who is not working out at all needs different nutrition than someone who is working out 4 to 5 days a week so combining your food with your work outs and fueling your body appropriately is key to targeting those layers of stubborn fat,” Goletz explains.
6. This type of plan can work for anyone- no matter the amount of weight you want to lose.
“If you have 100 pounds to lose, or you don't want to lose any weight and just want to gain muscle, counting your macros can work for everyone and it's very sustainable!”
To learn more about macros, and RefineYOU, click here.
